“I thought it might be more fun if you did,” I said. “Plus, she probably wouldn’t believe me.”
Lior turned back to Marley. “How about you get the coffee and then we’ll tell you all about it while we explore. And then I want to hear about your dorm, your roommate, what classes you’re taking, and what professors you have.”
“Deal!” Marley said and hurried off, Lior’s credit card clutched in her hand.
“She’s like eighteen going on eight right now,” I said, watching my sister stare down at Lior’s card like it was the most precious thing she’d ever touched.
“She’s sweet.”
“And smart,” I said. “And a smart ass.”
“I like her even more now.”
"Yeah, she’s pretty great.” I ran my hand over my jaw, wondering how to approach the subject of her fame and what that might look like today as we wandered.
“What’s on your mind?” she asked. “I can see your wheels turning.”
“Paparazzi.”
“Oh. Of course.” She gave me a smile that somehow immediately calmed me. “I don’t normally get a lot of attention around here. One, I try not to.” She pointed to the hat and the sunglasses she was still wearing. “And two, people don’t expect to see me here so there aren’t photographers sent out en masse to hound me. We should be okay. If I’d thought it would be a problem, I wouldn’t have come. And if it does become an issue, I’ll make myself scarce. Deal?”
“Thank you. I should have thought ahead and mentioned it. I just don’t want Marley’s face plastered all over the place.”
“Of course. And me neither. It’s really not a way to live.”
She turned then with a bright smile aimed at my sister who looked like at any moment she might float off into the sky on a cloud of pure happiness. She handed the drink in her hand to Lior and then held up a small white paper bag.
“Donut holes,” she said, her cheeks turning pink. “I read in an article once that you love them.” She looked so unsure that I wanted to hug her.
“They’re my favorite!” Lior said. “Thank you.” She took the bag, opened it, and popped one of the round confections into her mouth, the tiniest bit of powdered sugar dotting her lower lip. She then held out the bag to Marley and me, both of us helping ourselves to a donut as she asked, “Shall we get going?”
At Marley’s nod, she got to her feet, linked her arm through my sister’s, and led her out the front door while I followed behind.
I couldn’t have planned a better day if I’d tried. I loved listening and watching the two women talk animatedly about school, friends, clothes, and food. As soon as Marley professed her love of Mexican food, Lior claimed she had just the place to take us.
We ate fish tacos piled high with mango salsa on the deck of the bright green Agua Verde Cafe that overlooked Lake Union while watching the people below climb into their rented kayaks.
“Ten bucks says that guy falls off before he gets twenty feet from the dock,” Lior said, nodding her head toward a beefy looking blond guy. The dude seemed pretty confident to me as he waited for the slender young female employee to put his paddleboard in the water.
“He looks like he knows what he’s doing,” I said.
Lior met Marley’s gaze across the table and the two women gave each other a knowing grin.
“You gonna take the bet then?” Lior asked, goading me.
Marley looked smugly my way. Never in the history of any of the women I’d been with had Marley sided against me in a bet. But none of those women had been Lior Flynn.
“Twenty bucks,” I said.
“Done,” Lior said, reaching across the table to shake my hand. The three of us turned to watch, the two women laughing a few minutes later when the guy fell in the water as soon as he pushed off.
“We win!” Marley shouted and she and Lior did a triumphant fist bump over the table. “Men are so predictable.”
We walked around the U District a little more after lunch, popping in shops and laughing more than I had in a long time.
We debated terrible tattoos outside a tattoo parlor, drank the bubble tea Marley swore we’d love, Lior and I making faces every time we got a “bubble” in our mouth, and then stood outside Lior’s rented SUV, chatting about what we had planned for the rest of our stay.
She pointed suddenly and Marley and I turned to see a stunning view of a mountain peeking from between the buildings around us.
